Upgraded 2018 Mazda CX-3: Full details and pricing

The improved 2018 Mazda CX-3 small SUV arrives in Australia this month with a subtle new look, new features, engine and chassis upgrades and new drive-away pricing in a bid to fend off incursions by the Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V and Subaru XV.

Bringing small price hikes across the range, new drive-away pricing starts at $23,990 (up from $20,490 plus on-road costs previously) and tops out at $40,490.

However there’s a load of new standard features across the range including a push-button park brake, finally freeing up a centre armrest, and radar cruise control on the most expensive model.

Mazda has also tweaked the CX-3's suspension, steering and engines, as well as added a bigger new 1.8-litre diesel and made the cabin quieter.

But there are a couple of glaring omissions: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

During the Mazda CX-8 launch in June, Mazda stated it would start rolling out Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on new models before the end of the year, but clearly the new CX-3 is not one of them.

Instead Mazda says the 2018 CX-3 and all of its vehicles sold since early 2014 can have the smartphone-mirroring system retro-fitted for a price, which we understand to be around $300, but not until later in 2018.

It will take a couple of hours for the dealer-fitted system to be installed and Mazda is expecting strong demand.

Australia's second-best selling small SUV thus far in 2018 behind the dominant Mitsubishi ASX, which will also soon be updated, the new Mazda CX-3 is available in eight colours.

All model grades come standard with a 7.0-inch colour touch-screen, USB and Aux port, digital radio with six speakers, Bluetooth streaming, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, six airbags, push button engine start and autonomous emergency braking.

The range has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, but it's date stamped 2015 which means it was tested against less stringent regulations and wouldn't be guaranteed a five-star rating in 2018.

The model range consists of four variants, starting with the base-grade Mazda CX-3 Neo Sport which gets all of the aforementioned gear, followed by the Maxx Sport, sTouring and the range-topping Akari.

List prices have risen slightly but Mazda is forging ahead with drive-away pricing for the “foreseeable future” because it’s more relevant to customers. See below for the full Australian model rundown and pricing.

Mid-spec Mazda CX-3 Maxx Sport variants, which Mazda says will account 55 per cent of overall CX-3 sales, add rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring and sat-nav. They also get 16-inch alloy wheels (up from the steel wheels), automatic climate control and automatic headlights and wipers.

Mazda CX-3 sTouring models add premium faux leather seat trim, driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition, front parking sensors, head-up display, self-dimming rear view mirror, 18-inch alloy wheels, auto-folding and heated mirrors, LED daytime running lights, LED headlights, LED fog lights and circular LED brake lights.

Akari models get the lot, with a 360-degree parking monitor, radar cruise control with stop-and-go traffic mode, lane departure warning, adaptive LED headlights, power sunroof and power-adjustable and heated leather seats with lumbar adjust.

There are two gearboxes available – six-speed manual and six-speed auto -- matched to a fresh pair of four-cylinder engines, including a more refined 2.0-litre petrol (110kW/195Nm) and a more powerful new 1.8-litre turbo-diesel (85kW/270Nm), in both front- and all-wheel drive configurations.

Petrol models’ claimed fuel consumption is between 6.3 and 6.7L/100km while the diesel consumes just 4.7 and 5.1L/100km.

All models come with Mazda’s longer new five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and capped-price servicing program. The most popular model, the 2018 CX-3 Maxx Sport petrol FWD, will cost around $1500 to service for the first five years.

There will also be a Mazda CX-3 Akari LE or limited edition model arriving soon, with even more luxury features, but the Japanese brand is keeping that ace up its sleeve for now. There's also talk of a high-performance hero CX-3.

How much does the new 2018 Mazda CX-3 cost?
Neo Sport petrol FWD auto -- $25,990 (manual $23,990)
Maxx Sport petrol FWD auto -- $27,490 (manual $25,490)
Maxx Sport petrol AWD auto -- $29,490
Maxx Sport diesel FWD auto -- $29,990
sTouring petrol FWD auto -- $30,740 (manual $28,740)
sTouring petrol AWD auto -- $32,740
sTouring diesel AWD auto -- $35,240
Akari petrol FWD auto -- $35,990 (manual $33,990)
Akari petrol AWD auto -- $37,490
Akari diesel AWD auto -- $40,490
* All prices are drive-away (including on-road costs)